Page 2 of Minotaurs and other Magic

He opened his mouth to beg again, even though they couldn’t understand him, but someone else spoke.

Everyone turned to the deep voice. That was when Nate discovered his head still turned. His eyes widened. Sitting at theharp was…was a minotaur. He didn’t know how else to describe the creature. It was a man with the head of a bull. Had he been playing that music?

The minotaur wasn’t playing the harp now; he was pointing at Nate. Around the minotaur’s wrist was a thick gold cuff.

That wasn’t a good sign. The minotaur was someone important.

The vampire holding the stolen clothes bowed and responded.

Definitely not a good sign, but the distraction might be enough for him to run if he made his feet move.

Which he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried to will them to move, he was stuck.

The minotaur and the vampire had a brief discussion that involved the shaking of the stolen clothes and more pointing of fingers. The people waiting growled and hissed.

He was going to be killed or eaten, or both.

The panic he’d been holding in bubbled in his throat and prickled in his eyes.

“I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t understand you. I shouldn’t be here.” He drew in a breath. The vampire stared at him and muttered a few words. Even though Nate wanted to speak, no sound came out.

He couldn’t do anything but stand there. And that was so much worse.

A tear escaped and raced down his cheek.

Keep it together.

Why was he bothering when it would be much easier to give up?

The minotaur gave what sounded like orders, and the vampires obeyed. One collected coins from the minotaur while the other looped rope around Nate’s neck and wrists, tying his hands as if he were praying.

The vampire tying him spoke, and Nate’s muscles eased. He wriggled his toes, relieved to be able to move again. His elation ended the next second as the vampire led him to the minotaur and tied the other end of the rope to the ring that attached the leather carrying strap to the harp, giving Nate no choice but to sit at the feet…hooves…of the minotaur.

The minotaur had seemed big from across the room, but now he seemed massive. His hand would be able to squeeze a watermelon or a skull and crush it. And his hooves seemed like dinner plates.

He had dainty ankles that turned into bulging calves and then thick thighs. Nate’s gaze drifted higher, only to find that the minotaur wasn’t wearing anything beneath his tunic. His balls and cock hung heavily between his thighs and were equally large.

Nate lifted his gaze to find the minotaur staring at him, not with the hard eyes of the vampires who’d chased him but with curiosity and kindness.

The minotaur patted him on the head and murmured something only meant for his ears before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

People clapped.

Nate scanned the bar, but the vampires who’d chased him were gone. They’d taken the clothes…and coins.

Had the minotaur just bought him?

CHAPTER 2

The Strega had warned Rohan to be on the lookout for anything strange. While thieves weren’t strange, a human who spoke another language and who wore very odd shoes was definitely something strange.

He had no idea why she’d made the request, but bringing her the human man was worth the cost of buying his punishment. It was certainly better than telling her about the man tomorrow and then having to go to the city guard and deal with the Knight and the aggrieved victims.

As his fingers moved over the heartstrings, Rohan tried to find himself in the music the way he usually did. And while there was nothing wrong with his playing or his singing, the magic was off-kilter.

Perhaps it was due to the interruption.

Or maybe it was because of the man tied to his harp.

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